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Judith Barsi

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Judith Barsi
Barsi's portrait
Born
Judith Eva Barsi

(1978-06-06)June 6, 1978
Los Angeles, California, US
DiedJuly 25, 1988(1988-07-25) (aged 10)
Canoga Park, Los Angeles
Cause of deathHomicide
Resting placeForest Lawn Memorial Park
OccupationActress
Years active1984–1988

Judith Eva Barsi (June 6, 1978 – July 25, 1988) was an American child actress. She started her career in television, making appearances in commercials and guest starring in television shows. Her success in television led her to star in films such as Jaws: The Revenge and most notably providing voices for the characters of Ducky in The Land Before Time and Anne-Marie in All Dogs Go To Heaven. She was small in stature and often played characters younger than her actual age.[1]

After years of physical and mental abuse, Barsi and her mother were shot and killed by her father, József, in a murder–suicide.

Life and career

Barsi was born and raised in Los Angeles, California and was the daughter of Hungarian immigrants József and Maria Barsi, who had both fled the 1956 Soviet occupation of Hungary and then emigrated to Los Angeles, shortly before the birth of their daughter.[1] Maria Barsi soon began grooming her daughter to become an actress.[2]

At the age of five, Barsi was discovered at a skating rink.[2] She went on to appear in more than 70 commercials and guest-starring roles on television.[3] She also appeared in several films, including Jaws: The Revenge, and provided the voice for the character of Ducky in The Land Before Time (1988). As she was short for her age (she stood 3 ft 8 in (1.12 m) at age 10), Barsi began receiving hormone injections at UCLA to encourage her growth.[2]

By the time she entered fourth grade, she was earning an estimated $100,000 a year, which helped her buy the family a three-bedroom house in the West Hills section of Los Angeles.[4]

Parental abuse

Judith's parents met at a restaurant in Los Angeles, well known as a meeting place for immigrants, in which Maria worked as a waitress. József was a plumber, had problems with alcohol, and was arrested three times for driving while intoxicated.[5][2]

As Barsi's career success increased, her father József became increasingly abusive, jealous and paranoid. He would routinely threaten to kill himself, his wife and daughter. In December 1986, Maria reported the threats to the police and also reported that József had hit her in the face and choked her. After police found no physical signs of abuse, Maria eventually decided not to press charges against József.[2]

After the incident, József reportedly stopped drinking but continued to threaten and abuse his wife and daughter.[2] Before leaving to shoot Jaws: The Revenge in the Bahamas, József threatened Judith with a knife, telling her, "If you decide not to come back, I will cut your throat." Due to her father's abuse, Barsi began exhibiting disturbing behavior which included plucking out all her eyelashes and pulling out her cat's whiskers.[3] After breaking down in front of her agent, Barsi was taken by Maria to a child psychologist, who identified severe physical and emotional abuse and reported her findings to Child Protective Services.[2]

The investigation was dropped after Maria assured the case worker that she intended to start divorce proceedings against József and that she and Judith were going to move into a Panorama City apartment she had recently rented as a daytime haven away from József.[6] Friends urged Maria to follow through with the plan, but she resisted reportedly because she did not want to lose the family home and belongings.[2]

Death

Judith was last seen on the morning of July 25, 1988, when she rode her bike on her street.[5] On that same night, József shot Judith in the head while she was asleep in her room. Maria, hearing the gunshot, rushed down the hall, where József met her and shot her, as well.[4] József then poured gasoline on the bodies and set them on fire.[7] He later went into the garage and shot himself in the head with a .32 caliber pistol.[8][9]

Legacy

Barsi's headstone with Barsi's marker from 2004.

On August 9, 1988, Barsi and her mother were interred in unmarked graves at the Forest Lawn Memorial Park in Los Angeles.[10] In June 2004, a fund was set up by Barsi's fan club to purchase headstones for their graves. Barsi's marker, placed on August 23, 2004, reads "In Memory of the Lovely Judith Eva Barsi 1978 - 1988 "Our Concrete Angel" Yep! Yep! Yep!" in reference to Martina McBride's song about child abuse and Barsi's character Ducky's catchphrase from The Land Before Time.[11]

Barsi's final film, All Dogs Go to Heaven, in which she voices the orphaned Anne-Marie, was released in 1989, a year and a half after her murder.[12]

Filmography

Year Title Role Notes
1984 Fatal Vision Kimberly (age 3) Miniseries
1985 Kids Don't Tell Jennifer Ryan Television movie
1985 Do You Remember Love Kathleen Television movie
1985 The New Twilight Zone Gertie Segment: "A Little Peace and Quiet"
1985 There Were Times, Dear Molly Reed Television movie
1985 The Fall Guy Little Girl Episode: "Escape Claus"
1986 Remington Steele Laurie Beth Piper Episode: "Suburban Steele"
1986 Punky Brewster Anna 2 episodes
1986 Trapper John, M.D. Lindsay Christmas Episode: "Life, Death and Dr. Christmas"
1986 Cheers Child #1 Episode: "Relief Bartender"
1986 Cagney & Lacey Shauna Bard Episode: "Disenfranchised"
1986 The New Gidget Little Girl Episode: "It's Only Rock & Roll"
1986 Eye of the Tiger Jennifer Matthews
1986 The Love Boat Christmas angel Episode: "The Christmas Cruise: Part 2"
1987 Destination America Amy Television movie
1987 Slam Dance Bean
1987 Jaws: The Revenge Thea Brody
1987 The Tracey Ullman Show Little Girl Episode #2.3
1988 The Tracey Ullman Show Karen Episode #2.17
1988 St. Elsewhere Debbie Oppenheimer Episode: "The Abby Singer Show"
1988 ABC Afterschool Special Billie Foster Episode: "A Family Again"
1988 The Land Before Time Ducky Voice
1988 Growing Pains Young Carol Episodes "Graduation Day"
1989 All Dogs Go to Heaven Anne-Marie Voice
1992 Growing Pains Young Carol Episode: "The Last Picture Show, part 2"
(flashback only)

References

  1. ^ a b Johnson, John (1988-08-07). "A Script of Fear : Repeated Threats by Father of Child Actress Carried to Tragic End". latimes.com. p. 1. Retrieved 26 September 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h Johnson, John (1988-08-07). "A Script of Fear: Repeated Threats by Father of Child Actress Carried to Tragic End". latimes.com. p. 2. Retrieved 26 September 2011. {{cite web}}: Unknown parameter |coauthors= ignored (|author= suggested) (help)
  3. ^ a b "Local News in Brief : Child-Abuse Files Ordered Opened". latimes.com. 1988-08-23. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
  4. ^ a b Donnelley, Paul (2005-11-01). Fade to Black: A Book of Movie Obituaries (3 ed.). Omnibus Press. p. 122. ISBN 1-844-49430-6.
  5. ^ a b DEATH OF A FAMILY - Judith Barsi's story (240p). Arnold Shapiro Productions. 1989. {{cite AV media}}: Cite has empty unknown parameter: |1= (help)
  6. ^ "Inquiry in Barsi Case Dropped Too Soon, Panel Says". The Los Angeles Times. 1988-09-07. Retrieved 26 September 2011. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  7. ^ "Local News in Brief : Bodies Identified as Child Actress, Mother". latimes.com. 1988-07-29. Retrieved 26 September 2011.
  8. ^ "Child Actress Is Slain, Apparently by Father". The New York Times. 1988-07-30. Retrieved 22 November 2009. {{cite news}}: Italic or bold markup not allowed in: |publisher= (help)
  9. ^ Fuentes, Gabe (July 28, 1988). "Three Dead in Apparent Murder-Suicide". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved February 10, 2012.
  10. ^ C. Phillips, Deidre (1988-08-10). "Child actress Barsi, mother buried". Los Angeles Daily News. {{cite news}}: |access-date= requires |url= (help)
  11. ^ IMDB biography. A photo of the gravesite shows the referenced text.
  12. ^ Beck, Jerry (2005). The Animated Movie Guide. Chicago Review Press. pp. 13–14. ISBN 1-556-52591-5.
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